Perinatal and Infant Health

Short- and long-term health risks exist for mothers and their babies before, during, and after birth.

We promote and provide essential programs and services to increase access to quality care and ultimately reduce illness and death.

What are our goals?

Ensure that higher-risk mothers and newborns deliver at hospitals that can provide proper care.

Very Low Birth Weight (VLBW) infants are the most fragile newborns. But when born in a facility with a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), their chances to survive and thrive improve greatly.

Increase the number of infants who are breastfed and those who are exclusively breastfed through six months.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends all infants exclusively breastfeed for about six months. Human milk supports optimal growth and development. Mothers also benefit, as breastfeeding may lessen the likelihood of developing certain cancers and other health risks.

Increase the number of infants placed to sleep on their backs.

The AAP recommends using back-sleep position on a separate firm sleep surface and without loose bedding.

Increase the number of children who receive a developmental screening.

Early identification of developmental disorders is critical to the well-being of children and their families.

Increase the number of children who are adequately insured.

Inadequately insured children are more likely to lack appropriate and timely care, be without a medical home, and be less likely to receive needed referrals and receive family-centered care.

How do we accomplish our goals?

We accomplish our goals through the following programs and initiatives:

HRSA Preventive Services
Title V MCH Block Grant
Healthy Start
Home Visiting
Bright Futures
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program
Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM)
Screening and Treatment for Maternal Depression and Related Behavioral Disorders
Safe Infant Sleep Systems Integration (SISSI)
Sleep-related infant deaths are the leading cause of infant death after the first month of life and the third leading cause of infant death overall.

Through effective programs and policies, we encourage caregivers to follow safe infant sleep behaviors.

As part of SISSI, the National Action Partnership to Promote Safe Sleep develops and implements the National Action Plan to Increase Safe Infant Sleep. They do this alongside partners to support breastfeeding among infant caregivers. They activate systems, supports, and services to work together to make safe infant sleep a national standard.

Heritable Disorders: The CoIIN works to reduce illness and death in newborns and children who have or are at risk for heritable disorders. These include sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and hearing impairment.

Newborn Screening:

The CoIIN's projects include:

Read the Report to Congress: Newborn Screening Activities (PDF - 252 KB).
Developing a needs assessment for state newborn screening programs, genetics programs, and service systems
Merging newborn screening and genetic services into existing state systems of care
Evaluating new technologies for diagnosis and in screening programs
Creating uniform guidelines